There’s a reason that “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers has developed into one of the go-to needle drops for movie, film, and commercial producers. You’d be hard-pressed to find too many songs that evoke pure joy as well as this one.
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Ironically, Withers, who wrote the song’s lyrics, used the upbeat demeanor more familiar to one of his collaborators than to himself to come up with the sentiment. Released in 1977, the song coaxes smiles like few other tracks of its era.
Withers’ Wild Ride
Bill Withers provided proof that musical talent can make its way to the top even if the artist displaying it doesn’t follow the usual path to get there. Born in a tiny West Virginia coal town, he spent almost a decade in the Navy before relocating to California in the 60s.
Withers took a steady job as a mechanic. But even going back to his naval days, he harbored dreams of being a songwriter and performer. He diligently sent out demos until he received a bite. Even after his 1971 debut album Just As I Am produced the hit single “Ain’t No Sunshine,” he kept his day job. After all, guys who start their recording career in their 30s don’t usually earn stardom.
A year later, even the practical Withers had to admit that this music thing was going to last. His album Still Bill yielded the huge pop hits “Lean On Me” (No. 1) and “Use Me” (No. 2). Withers suddenly reigned as one of the premier R&B artists of his time.
Isn’t It “Lovely”?
Withers delivered three studio albums in the mid-70s that failed to produce any Top 40 hits. It looked like he’d be a three-hit wonder, especially once disco took hold. The low-key rhythmic pleasures and subtle lyricism of his music seemed like they might get left behind.
For his 1977 album Menagerie, he wrote a couple of sets of lyrics for musical beds provided by songwriter Skip Scarborough. Scarborough was a naturally upbeat guy. That vibe worked its way into Withers’ words for “Lovely Day”, which featured ebullient music to match.
Throughout the track, Withers holds the note on the word “day” for long stretches. That includes a show-stopper of a sequence late, where he hangs on to it for a couple of iterations of the refrain. “Lovely Day” returned Withers to the pop charts, hitting No. 30. It also became a Top 10 smash in the United Kingdom.
Behind the Lyrics of “Lovely Day”
The narrator of “Lovely Day” admits to times of sorrow and frustration. In the opening verse, the sunlight “hurts” his eyes. “And something without warning, love,” Withers admits. “Bears heavy on my mind.”
Withers shows off his nimble wordplay in the second verse. “When the day that lies ahead of me,” he sings. “Seems impossible to face/When someone else instead of me/Always seems to know the way.” Luckily, his lover effortlessly solves the problems. “Just one look at you,” Withers testified. “And I know it’s gonna be/A lovely day.”
On the surface, a No. 30 spot on the charts doesn’t seem like it’s enough to call a song iconic. But Bill Withers’ “A Lovely Day” has outlasted that initially modest performance. Time and again, it provides a burst of positivity no matter when and where you hear it.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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